Spike TV must be very happy with those numbers, as they put their UFC library rights to good use airing UFC content around the UFC on FOX network debut. Amazing to think that the 8PM airing of “Unleashed” which featured Brock Lesnar vs Cain Valasquez drew 923K viewers. Last seasons TUF typically drew around 1 Million viewers and featured Brock Lesnar and Junior Dos Santos as head coaches, which makes these rating numbers for taped fights that much more impressive.

MMA fans should take offense to the way Spike TV went about their battle with the UFC. They have every right to counter the UFC if they choose. Even though i think it is stupid when the UFC is trying to expand the market they are trying to capitalize on. But what they did is lie to the MMA fans they are trying to build a relationship with. They promoted their counter program as a build up for the title fight. They were not trying to build up the title fight but take away from it. To lie to the fans in that way is very irresponsible IMO.

I will LMAO when the UFC uses all their power and new money from the FOX deal and increased PPV to raid Bellator’s fighters. Not that Bellator is building star fighters anyway.

With a longer fight card on FOX i think the UFC would have peaked at 10 million and averaged 8 million viewers. I think this was a great success for the UFC and the sport. It is a shame Spike tried to hinder the sport to force the UFC to buy them out of a contract that they agreed to.

BrainSmasher on
November 16th, 2011 6:20 PM

On the bright side counting the UFC on Fox, UFC on Spike, and Bellator there was almost 10 million people watching MMA from 9pm to 10pm. 9.5 million on the UFC Brand alone.

Rich on
November 17th, 2011 7:01 AM

You are giving Bellator way too much credit.

Diego on
November 17th, 2011 8:34 AM

I think it’s hilarious that the king of counter-programming himself is getting countered with his own product. I don’t think this hurts the sport. More MMA on any channel is good.

I agree that if the UFC had shown the Henderson-Guida fight it would have built up viewership for the main event, I don’t know that it would have hit 10 million though.

I’m also not sure about the math that leads people to estimate that 10 million people were watching MMA on Saturday night in the US – 5.7 M watched Fox, 700k watched Spike, and 100k wached Bellator. The Fox Deportes numbers have to be included but I’m still not sure that pushes the total to 10 M.

Diego on
November 17th, 2011 8:48 AM

I just read that UFC on Fox peaked at 8.8M. I hadn’t realized that, that’s damn good. In that case I think adding the Bendo-Guida fight could have easily broken 10M. Lesson learned for the UFC.

mmaguru on
November 17th, 2011 12:11 PM

This is all purely business. Spike simply capitalized on an opportunity to draw some ratings on a night where it would not have been able to. 923K viewers is a far cry from the 5.7 million average viewers UFC got on FOX (8.8 peak) but you have to agree it would be a pretty good number assuming there was no additional cost associated with the airing.

Jose Mendoza on
November 17th, 2011 1:01 PM

Rich:

It’s just Spike capitalizing on the library that they already own. Can’t blame them for that and it’s well within their contract agreement.